<p>Solo is the latest among James Bond novels penned by other authors after the death of Ian Fleming. Written by William Boyd who has more than a dozen novels to his credit, Solo is a crackling read constructed around a solid plot.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Quite naturally there is problem brewing in some part of the globe and Agent 007, James Bond, ever at the service of Her Majesty’s government, is being dispatched by the redoubtable ‘M’ to set things right. The trouble spot happens to be Zanzarim, a small West African country, albeit fictional, that is in the throes of a bitter civil war. A vast, apparently limitless, subterranean ocean of oil has been discovered in the homeland of the minority Fakassa tribe. The people of that region want the lion’s share of the oil wealth for themselves and have seceded from Zanzarim, declaring their own independent Democratic Republic of Dahum. Her Majesty’s government supports Zanzarim and provides it military support, but the numerically inferior Dahum has held its ground, thanks to the indomitable military tenacity of its leader Brigadier Solomon Adeka. It is this Adeka that Bond must make “less effective”. <br /><br />Bond begins his mission by trying unsuccessfully to enlist the help of Brigadier Adeka’s brother Gabrielle Adeka, who runs a charity called AfricaKIN based in London. He then acquires the identity of a journalist of a French publication (France being perceived to be more friendly towards Dahum) and flies to the capital city of Zanzarim, from where he must undertake a perilous journey to Port Dunbar, the capital city of Dahum, aided by an attractive, Scottish-African local contact, Blessing Ogilvy-Grant. <br /><br />Anyone familiar with the Bond template will receive no prize for guessing whether Blessing and Bond get embroiled in an amorous encounter or not, or, whether or not there is a surprise villain popping up at the most unexpected moment. The villain in question turns out to be Kobus Breed, a Rhodesian mercenary with half his face blown off, who welds the mandatory trademark instrument of depraved violence — a hook — to hang his victims by their jaws. <br /><br />Bond does manage to accomplish his mission of bringing the civil war to an end, and Dahum to its knees. His combat experience in the Second World War, and a bit of devious thinking, come handy. But a Bond story is not worth its name if it does not involve twists and turns, and the most important twist comes at this point of the story, forcing Bond to ‘go solo’, to indulge in unauthorised rogue action. This is when the action gathers speed, and things get really interesting. More characters join the fray: the millionaire Hulbert Linck, the CIA, even an old schoolmate of Bond. For feminine glamour, there is the horror film actress of Scandinavian origin who had made an appearance in the first chapters of the book. After some cat and mouse games, many high-octane shootouts and surprise revelations, the action moves back to Zanzarim for the final denouement. It is a meticulously crafted plot that holds together well and holds your attention till the end. It also permits the standard Bond repertoire full play. <br /><br />Bond is about girls, guns, gadgets and globe-trotting, in no particular order. And there is a bit of everything served here. Boyd writes well, using prose that is precise, full of details and yet poetic. “He found a large ash-grey tree with great buttressing roots and settles down snugly between two of them. Darkness arrived with tropical speed and, to distract himself from his cracked throat and his hollow stomach, he forced his mind to concentrate on matters far from Zanza River Delta,” Boyd writes about an interlude Bond faces during his adventure in the jungles. “Into the Zanzarim grip went three pairs of underpants and socks, a rolled up panama hat in a cardboard tube, his anti-malaria pills and his pigskin toilet bag”, he writes of the preparation Bond makes in his hotel room before venturing out. <br /><br />We see a fairly consistent image of Bond as a complete man, even if slightly unreal. He is fastidious about the cars he drives, the clothes he wears, the food he eats, and the alcohol he drinks. He is seen reading Conrad’s A Heart of Darkness, is passionate and affectionate toward the women he makes love to, takes utmost care of them as long as it does not endanger his own safety; and yes, he can be violent and ruthless with anyone who comes in his way. <br /><br />The myth of Bond, James Bond, Agent 007, continues with this elegantly written, carefully crafted, tale of twists and turns, and magnificent deceptions; hurtling full-speed against the backdrop of violent political theatre and trans-national intrigue.</p>
<p>Solo is the latest among James Bond novels penned by other authors after the death of Ian Fleming. Written by William Boyd who has more than a dozen novels to his credit, Solo is a crackling read constructed around a solid plot.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Quite naturally there is problem brewing in some part of the globe and Agent 007, James Bond, ever at the service of Her Majesty’s government, is being dispatched by the redoubtable ‘M’ to set things right. The trouble spot happens to be Zanzarim, a small West African country, albeit fictional, that is in the throes of a bitter civil war. A vast, apparently limitless, subterranean ocean of oil has been discovered in the homeland of the minority Fakassa tribe. The people of that region want the lion’s share of the oil wealth for themselves and have seceded from Zanzarim, declaring their own independent Democratic Republic of Dahum. Her Majesty’s government supports Zanzarim and provides it military support, but the numerically inferior Dahum has held its ground, thanks to the indomitable military tenacity of its leader Brigadier Solomon Adeka. It is this Adeka that Bond must make “less effective”. <br /><br />Bond begins his mission by trying unsuccessfully to enlist the help of Brigadier Adeka’s brother Gabrielle Adeka, who runs a charity called AfricaKIN based in London. He then acquires the identity of a journalist of a French publication (France being perceived to be more friendly towards Dahum) and flies to the capital city of Zanzarim, from where he must undertake a perilous journey to Port Dunbar, the capital city of Dahum, aided by an attractive, Scottish-African local contact, Blessing Ogilvy-Grant. <br /><br />Anyone familiar with the Bond template will receive no prize for guessing whether Blessing and Bond get embroiled in an amorous encounter or not, or, whether or not there is a surprise villain popping up at the most unexpected moment. The villain in question turns out to be Kobus Breed, a Rhodesian mercenary with half his face blown off, who welds the mandatory trademark instrument of depraved violence — a hook — to hang his victims by their jaws. <br /><br />Bond does manage to accomplish his mission of bringing the civil war to an end, and Dahum to its knees. His combat experience in the Second World War, and a bit of devious thinking, come handy. But a Bond story is not worth its name if it does not involve twists and turns, and the most important twist comes at this point of the story, forcing Bond to ‘go solo’, to indulge in unauthorised rogue action. This is when the action gathers speed, and things get really interesting. More characters join the fray: the millionaire Hulbert Linck, the CIA, even an old schoolmate of Bond. For feminine glamour, there is the horror film actress of Scandinavian origin who had made an appearance in the first chapters of the book. After some cat and mouse games, many high-octane shootouts and surprise revelations, the action moves back to Zanzarim for the final denouement. It is a meticulously crafted plot that holds together well and holds your attention till the end. It also permits the standard Bond repertoire full play. <br /><br />Bond is about girls, guns, gadgets and globe-trotting, in no particular order. And there is a bit of everything served here. Boyd writes well, using prose that is precise, full of details and yet poetic. “He found a large ash-grey tree with great buttressing roots and settles down snugly between two of them. Darkness arrived with tropical speed and, to distract himself from his cracked throat and his hollow stomach, he forced his mind to concentrate on matters far from Zanza River Delta,” Boyd writes about an interlude Bond faces during his adventure in the jungles. “Into the Zanzarim grip went three pairs of underpants and socks, a rolled up panama hat in a cardboard tube, his anti-malaria pills and his pigskin toilet bag”, he writes of the preparation Bond makes in his hotel room before venturing out. <br /><br />We see a fairly consistent image of Bond as a complete man, even if slightly unreal. He is fastidious about the cars he drives, the clothes he wears, the food he eats, and the alcohol he drinks. He is seen reading Conrad’s A Heart of Darkness, is passionate and affectionate toward the women he makes love to, takes utmost care of them as long as it does not endanger his own safety; and yes, he can be violent and ruthless with anyone who comes in his way. <br /><br />The myth of Bond, James Bond, Agent 007, continues with this elegantly written, carefully crafted, tale of twists and turns, and magnificent deceptions; hurtling full-speed against the backdrop of violent political theatre and trans-national intrigue.</p>
